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WFP Joins Forces With Spain In New Initiative To Fight Hunger Worldwide

NEW YORK - The UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the Kingdom of Spain today announced a new initiative to speed up rapid and efficient response to hunger crises.

With the support of the Spanish government WFP will establish a humanitarian hub in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, which will function as a strategic location to support emergency operations in West Africa and beyond.

WFP will also open a liaison office in Madrid to work closer with Spain’s public and private sectors, as well as civil society. Engaging and creating synergies with all the Spanish actors will be of significant support in WFP’s global efforts to end hunger and malnutrition.

“When it comes to supporting humanitarian action Spain is a global leader,” said WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin. “Las Palmas is in the crossroads of Africa, the Americas and Europe. The new partnership between the World Food Programme and the Spanish government establishes a humanitarian hub in Las Palmas giving us the platform we require to operate both faster and more cost-effectively as we work to save lives during emergencies.”

“The Spanish people are dedicated to helping fight hunger wherever it occurs, and we are proud to partner with WFP,” said Gonzalo Robles, Spain’s Secretary General for International Cooperation. “This is a smart and innovative idea that would allow us to join forces and capacities whenever an emergency hits.”

WFP’s humanitarian hub in Las Palmas will become part of the UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) network. The depot will stock ready-to-eat foods, as well as emergency equipment that can be dispatched the minute a disaster strikes. For the first time, WFP will also have the opportunity to ship and pre-position large quantities of food commodities in the hub, providing a better and more cost-effective service when a crisis occurs.
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